What I’m loving at the mo..

When it comes to beauty products I’m a bit of a whore- not particularly loyal to one product and quite easily led astray by promises of firming, lifting and illuminating! I was speaking to a mum at school recently who was saying that she only wears make up on special occasions. I said to her, every day is a special occasion- wear it now, today! She laughed and said that she’ll wear more make up when she’s older and needs it more. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she had it all wrong. The beauty is in wearing make up at any age because you want to, not in old age because you need to!

And of course there are the ladies who declare – Oh, I just don’t have the time! Oh, I wouldn’t know where to start. Or my personal favourite- I’m lucky I don’t really need make up! *sound of crickets*. Anyhoo- here are some of my favourite products that are in high rotation and usage at the moment- not that I really need any of them of course…

Numero Uno –

Because 50 shades of coral nailpolish are never enough, I decided to add one more by Bourjois. The beauty with this one is the brush- it has those short fat ones that apply the polish in one thick sweep. So easy and divine to use. I can get around 4 days of this without a single chip. Tres jolie!

Melbourne is experiencing some magnificent sunny weather at the moment so my self tan is getting a work out. I find that St.Tropez and Ella Bache are the best ones as they don’t streak and give you a very natural brown colour instead of an orange. I usually mix some of this in with my moisturiser and put it on my face and upper body every other night. I prefer to naturally tan my legs rather than fake tan them- I can never get them looking right!

I recently wrote about how much I’m loving Coconut Butter as a body moisturiser- you’ll be happy to know I’m still using it for everything from cooking eggs to applying it as a hair treatment. Yes, a hair treatment. Rub a decent amount through your hair, focusing on the ends, wrap your hair in some glad wrap and chill for about half an hour. Then shampoo and condition your hair as normal. Locks will be instantly transformed into a Rapunzelesque state!

Don’t waste time with other mascaras. This is the best. That is all.

Lemon Aid by Benefit is your saving grace after a big night with little sleep. The yellow based creme instantly brightens dark circles giving a natural brightness to your eyes. You can also use it for your eyelids as a primer to keep your eyeshadow in place for longer.

I’ve saved the best for last. My sister was recently in Mexico and found herself in one of those pharmacies where anything goes. You could buy anything over the counter, no questions asked, no prescriptions needed. I received her text around the same time I was reading about Essendon’s mysterious Mexican drug they had allegedly been given- the text said “Hi, at Mexican pharmacy now, do you want anything?” To which I promptly replied “Yes, Retin A cream, please.” “What strength?” “Duhh- the strongest of course.” Which is how I ended up with a tube of this…

Tretinoin is a derivative of Vitamin A and works by increasing cell turn over. It is commonly used in the treatment of acne. However it can also reduce some wrinkles, pigmentaion and rough areas of skin. It is said that sun damaged skin improves within the first 3-4 weeks and wrinkles decrease or disappear after three to six months. Holler!
If you haven’t used Retin-A cream before start off very slow. Put on a very thin layer every second night. If your skin reacts ok to it then you can increase it to every night. Be careful when you’re in the sun though as it makes your skin more susceptible to burning. Always use a sunscreen! You may also notice light flaking or peeling initially, all this is normal and just part of your skin renewing itself. Think of it like a snake skin- shedding the old to uncover a new!

Are you currently using any product that you love? Do you have any old favourites that have been part of your beauty routine for years? Let me know- I’d love to discover something new, like another coral nail polish maybe. X